Ready all those puns about high altitudes and getting high:
A federal report released Thursday suggests that residents in Boulder County use marijuana more than people in most places in the United States.
The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration ranks Boston and Boulder County as the No. 1 and No. 2 regions, respectively, in the greatest percentage of residents who have recently used marijuana.
Colorado’s Western Slope also ranks nationally as one of the top 15 regions in pot usage.
Based on surveys from 1999 to 2001, 10.3 percent of Boulder County residents ages 12 and older had used marijuana during the past month. Boston led the nation at 12.2 percent.
“Does that surprise me? No, not really,” said Chuck Stout, public health director for Boulder County. “We’ve known for some time that substance abuse in Boulder County is one of our most persistent problems.”
But such reports about marijuana use shouldn’t be so troubling, according to Mason Tvert, who heads a Boulder-based group that advocates marijuana use over alcohol. Tvert says the federal study shows the area’s insight and progressive nature.
“I think this reflects the reasonability of the city and its people,” Tvert said. “People in this town have traditionally been progressive and sensible, so it is not a surprise they use marijuana instead of other, more harmful drugs.”
The study represents the first time the federal government has explored substance abuse by region rather than by state. Federal officials say the data will help states decide where they should spend money for treatment and prevention programs.
Colorado ranks at the bottom of government funding for substance abuse.
Nationally, an average of 5.1 percent of people 12 or older reported using marijuana. Past- month marijuana use ranged from a low of 2.3 percent in northwestern Iowa to the high, so to speak, in Boston.
Boulder County’s dubious distinction doesn’t mean law enforcement is more tolerant of marijuana users, Boulder Sheriff Joe Pelle said. But local police have to prioritize based on safety first, which means marijuana isn’t always the top priority, he said.
“Given a choice of the use of resources,” Pelle said, “I would much rather take down a meth lab or break up a cocaine ring. That said, it is not as if we turn our heads with a wink and a nod.”
The federal study used data collected in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health that annually polls about 70,000 people across the nation. The survey is a combination of a personal interview for basic demographic information and computer-assisted interviewing for most of the questions to ensure confidentiality and honest reporting.
Marijuana use was the focus of Thursday’s release, but the agency looked at 11 other categories, including binge drinking, other illicit drugs and cigarettes.
Pelle questioned where the 318 Boulder County residents who were surveyed lived and what influence that would have – the college town of Boulder or the more conservative Longmont, for instance. More than 242,000 people live in the county.
Several local officials questioned the study results and its usefulness.
“I don’t know how helpful it is for the federal government to look at data they gathered from 300 people from four, five and six years ago and suggest then that the average of these numbers might have some relevance to people in 2005,” Stout said.
Earlier this year, the same agency used more recent numbers – from 2002 and 2003 – to show that Colorado is among the highest-ranked states for the use of alcohol, marijuana and cocaine, particularly among young adults. Those conclusions were based on a survey of 136,000 Americans.
Federal researcher Douglas Wright, who worked on the study released Thursday, acknowledges that the percentages are estimates in the middle of a variable range. For example, Boulder County’s estimate is 10.3 percent, but the actual number could be between 7.89 and 13.41 percent.
“The actual number could be a fair amount lower or it could be a fair amount higher,” Wright said.
Still, Wright insists the study is reliable, not just because of the survey methods but also because of the agencies’ use of mathematical formulas that have become available only in the past few years.
“These are a lot better than you could do if you just tried to use sample only,” he said.
Whatever the methods, Stout noted a lack of funding for prevention and treatment as a major hurdle for battling substance abuse. “We put nothing into prevention in this state,” he said. “Our treatment center is overwhelmed. So tell me again why we should be surprised when we do nothing about it.”
Staff writer George Merritt can be reached at 720-929-0893 or gmerritt@denverpost.com.
